Iona Gallery

I entered a show for Urban Landscapes and 10 of my paintings were accepted.  The show hangs from September to January.  The opening reception is this Saturday night, Sept 14, from 7 to 9 pm.

Bright Lights of New York City
original watercolor by
Jane McElvany Coonce

The gallery is located at 4545 42nd Street, NW in Washington, DC.  (phone number:  202-362-1815).

The opening coincides with the Tenley Town Main Street Event:  "Art All Night. " There are 19 venues that are participating by showing art and/or having musicians perform. At Iona Gallery, I will be one of the 7 artists showing urban scapes. There will be music from acoustic Guitarist, Spencer Hodgson. 

If you are looking for something to do this Saturday night, please join us at Iona Gallery.  You can also visit the website for the other activities going on that night near Tinley Circle.
https://tenleytownmainstreet.org/event/art-all-night/

Hope to see you Saturday night.  If you can't make it, feel free to stop by Iona Gallery in the next couple of months.

Koi in the Pond

Koi in the Pond
watercolor by Jane McElvany Coonce

I've been painting a lot this summer especially since my art classes ended, and I'm not teaching.  I finished "Koi in the Pond" in watercolor this week.  It was from a photo I took up in Rehoboth Beach.  It was a challenging painting; it was like solving a puzzle trying to figure out what to do first. How do you make the stones look like they are under water. Putting in ripples in the water was challenging as well.

I have to say it's one of my favorite watercolors that I have ever done.  I think I might have to try some more koi paintings and see if it gets easier.  I can't wait to see it framed.

Black and White

Rainy Day Mission
oil painting by Jane McElvany Coonce

A new show is going up this week.  It's a show of my students' works. The assignment was to do something in shades of black and white, but not using a tube of black.  The artists had to mix colors to make a black such as blue and brown.  But everyone came up with shades of gray!
We hang it this week and the opening reception is this coming Friday, July 12 from 5 to 7 at Gallery Clarendon. I hope you can make the reception, but if not , the show will be up from July 7 - Aug 4.
This is a very interesting show and the artists really stepped up to the plate.

Falls Church Arts Show: It's About Me

Sunday in the Outdoor Cafe
watercolor by Jane McElvany Coonce

There is a new show at Falls Church Arts called "It's About Me."  Artists had to submit paintings that reflect something about themselves. I am an observer of people. I'm always looking at people in scenes to see if it might make a good painting.  I take thousands of photographs that don't don't ever get used for a painting.  But I continue to take photos because every once in a while, I hit the jack pot.

This is one that I submitted to the June show. It's not large:  11x14, but I love how it turned out.  I have two others in there, a Key Bridge watercolor and some Oysters on the Half Shell.  Hope you'll stop by and see the show. It's at 700 West Broad St. next to La Famille Cafe and the Kensington.

Afternoon at Key Bridge

Oysters on the Half Shell

The Light of Venice

Gondolas at St.Mark's Square

Yesterday, we hung the new show, "The Light of Venice" at Gallery Underground. It is a blockbuster show!  There are 10 artists in the show and there are 65 paintings!  It's a show not to be missed. 

The reception is this Friday, June 7 from 5 to 7 pm.  We will have special food for this occasion to get you in the mood for being in the light of Venice. Free parking in the garage on 20th St. between Route 1 and Crystal Dr.

I hope you can make it to the reception, but if not, the show will continue from June 3- June 28.  The gallery is open Monday through Friday from 10 am to 6 pm.  Free parking is provided. Just ask for your parking stub to be validated.

Gallery Underground is located at 2100 Crystal Drive.

The Grand Canal

Virginia Watercolor Society

Rowing on the Potomac
by Jane McElvany Coonce

Once a year, Virginia Watercolor Society has their annual show.  This year is the 40th anniversary of the organization. I enter the show every year, but it's a juried show, so the judge has to pick 80 painting out of hundreds of paintings.  There have been many years that I don't get in. This year I entered and got in. I was happy that my painting was accepted.  I was even more thrilled when I heard I won a a prize.  I was unable to attend the awards ceremony, but it was still exciting just the same. I have often said that entering juried shows is like playing the lottery. Some times you win, some times you don't.  One judge might reject a painting and then you enter the same painting into another juried show, and the judge picks it and gives it a prize. So I never get a swelled head if I get into a show or if I win a prize, nor do I get discouraged if I don't get into a show at all. It's just one person's opinion.  As my dad used to say, "If first you don't succeed, try, try again."

Mother's Day #2

Hydrangeas in a Blue and White Vase
oil painting by Jane McElvany Coonce

Here is another painting of flowers that I have in my studio at Gallery Clarendon this month. I love hydrangeas, and I wished they lasted longer when they bloom. With this painting, they will be blooming all year long!  There is a reception at Gallery Clarendon this Friday night, May 10 from 5 - 7 pm. I'll be there. I will also be there on Saturday, May 11 from 3 - 5.  So stop by and say hi.